Irs co



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

T. V. ALLIS.

R m w fl/ 1 N A H W. lili K whlliahv m a w K a w w H mfi (No Model.)

MACHINE FOR ROLLING WIRE RODS OR STRIPS. No. 163,691

hu i WITNESSES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

T. V. ALLIS.

MACHINE FOR ROLLING WIRE RODS OR STRIPS.

Patented Nov. 24, 1891. Figz zlmjlimn imfllm w llllllllllli.

. ii lllllllfijliiiill ll l lllll I flllllllllllllllllllll!inINVEN'TIIIR'= WITNESSES 1 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. T. .V. ALLIS.MACHINE FOR ROLLING WIRE RODS 0R STRIPS. No. 463,691

Patented Nov. 24,1891.

INVEN'I'I'JR= WITNESSES 5 f a (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4'. T. V.ALLIS. MAGHINB FOR ROLLING WIRE RODS 0R STRIPS. No. 463,697. PatentedNov. 24, 1891.

|NVENTEIR= WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT EErc.

THOMAS V. ALLIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR ROLLING WIRE RODS OR STRIPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,697, dated November24, 1891.

Application filed December 4, 1889.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS V. ALLIS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York city, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in W'ire Rod or Strip RollingMills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, essentially, to the guide apparatus in wire rodor strip rolling mills for controlling the rod or strip between thepairs of rolls in trains in which the several pairs are arrangedcontinuously in the same line, and is more particularly applicable totrains. in which the successive pairs of rolls are alternately placed inoppositelyinclined planes; but it is also useful in trains having thesuccessive pairs all inclined in one plane, and it may with somemodification be used with rolls all placed horizontally or alternatelyhorizontally and Vertically.

Another feature of the invention relates to relief apparatus for theescape of the rod or strip from the guide when stalled in advance, andanother feature relates to the use of variable-frictiondriving-gear forthe rolls.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a trainof rolls constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 representssome of the parts in side view in the axial lines of the rolls of onepair and at right angles to said lines of the next pair, a part of theguide-carriage being broken out in this figure. Fig. 3 is a longitudinalsectional elevation of some of the apparatus of Fig. 2 on line a: m.Fig. 4 is a central transverse section of some of the apparatus of Figs.2 and 5 on line y y, Fig. 3, with a part in dotted lines illustratingthe operation of the guide. Fig. 5 is a detail of relief apparatus forthe rod or strip when stalled, partly in side view and partly in sectionon line 2 .2, Figs. 2 and a. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a modifiedform of apparatus that may be used to release the guide from the checkin which it is held to allow the entry of the rod be tween the rolls andpermit said guide to act when the loop forms. Fig. 7 represents a formof device that may be substituted for the roller employed in theautomatic detaching device for the guide-carrier. Fig. 8 is a detail ofthe guide-carrier-elevating apparatus.

Serial No. 332,609. (No model.)

In an application for a patent forimprovements in wire-rolling machineryfiled August 16, 1889, Serial No. 320,966, and now pending I haverepresented a roller-guide which vibrates on a swinging arm forcontrolling the wire or rods between the consecutive pairs of rolls andwhich works in the plane of the pass-grooves to which the wire or rodruns from said guide and is intended more particularly for use withrolls for reducing wires in round form by cold-rolling, in which onlyshort loops form between the rolls.

The guide of the present invention is intended more especially for usein hot-rolling wire rods and strips which have to run in loops ofgreater length between the pairs of rolls, but is also applicable, forcold-rolling. The rolls a are placed successively in the same line offeed at short distances apart and alternately in opposite inclinationsof about fortyfive degrees to the level plane with the rolls proper atthe lower sides and the drivin g-shafts b at the upper sides of theinclines. Each pair of rolls is geared to its driving-shaft b by thebevel-wheels c, cone pulleys d, and shifting friction-belt e, with abelt-shifter g for a simple and ready means of varying the speed of therolls and with the multiplying spur-wheels f between the cone-pulleysand the rolls, the object of which is to enable the bevel-wheels, andespecially the friction-cones, to run slower for the required speed ofthe rolls than if the transmitting-cone were coupled directly to one ofthe rolls. This saves wear and friction in obtaining the required highspeed of the rolls, because the spur-gears are less affected in theserespects than are the bevelwheels and the cone friction device,especially the friction-belt and the belt-shifter, on which the Wear andfriction are greatly increased at high speed.

In the use of the vibrating guide of the above-referred-to pendingapplication it is contemplated that after first threading the rolls withthe wire rods to be reduced they will remain threaded by stopping therolls and welding on other lengths before running the previous lengthsout, which cannot well be done in rolling the larger hot rods or stripsfor which the apparatus of this invention is more particularly intended,whereas it is an especial feature of the guide in this case that ICO orstrips.

it shall be such as will conduct the ends of new pieces directly fromone pair of rolls to another before loops are formed and afterward takecare of the loops as they are produced. Another feature of the saidguide is that it provides for the bending of the loops in the fiatwisedirection of the rods to which they naturally tend, and therefore workbetter than in the other direction, said rods being thus flattened byrolling in shallow passgrooves, which theyare caused to enter edgewise,so that being flattened that way in said shallow grooves a greaterreduction takes place and fins are avoided. They are caused to thusenter the pass-grooves by the arrangement of the successive pairs ofrolls at right angles to each other. In trains of rolls all arranged inthe same plane a twist-guide is em ployed for this purpose. It will beseen thatthe loops thus turning in the flatwise direction of the rodsform in the planes of the passgrooves of the rolls from which the rodsissue instead of in the planes of the pass-grooves to which the rods runfrom the guides, as in the arrangement of, the said pending application,which demands a special condition of the guide for directing the rodinto the passgrooves not required in that case.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 4, there is seen a fined guideway g of thesize and form of the rod, into which the rod enters directly as itissues from the pass-grooves of the rolls at the right hand, and at h isa similar fixed guideway leading into the pass-grooves of the next pairof' rolls at the left hand, and between these two fixed guideways, whichextend only part of the distance between the two pairs of the rolls, isanother guideway t', which at times forms a direct continuation betweenthe said two fixed guides and at other times shifts away therefromlaterally as the loop forms to control it;. but it is to be understoodthat the movable guide will operate successfully in this arrangement ofthe same to work in the plane of the pass-grooves from which the rodenters the guide without the fixed guide g, and I am not limited to itsuse, though I prefer it as giving better results; but the chief purposeof said fixed guide isto provide for the use of the relief apparatus,that will be described further on. In such case the movable guide willbe longer or will be otherwise so arranged that its receiving end willbe close to the rolls from which it receives the rod. These fixed andmovable guides are beveled at the endsj to gage them in alignment whenthe movable guide returns to that position. The stationary parts g and heach have a guide-roller 71; at the end connecting with the movableguide, and said movable guide has the rollers Z for anti-frictioncarriers to run the loop over, and the ends of the guides are slightlybellmouthed to facilitate the running of the rods The movable guide isattached to the carriage 'm, which runs on the rails 0L, parallel withthe plane of the pass-grooves of the rolls from which the rods enter theguide, said rails being in the inclined arrangement of rolls hereinrepresented inclined correspondingly with them, so that said guidegravitates into the bight of the loop to keep it taut; but if used withrolls placed on a level base said guide may have a cord and weightworking over a pulley or any other approved means of keeping-the looptaut. A spring-buffer 39 is arranged at the lower end of the railway tobreak the shock when the carriage happens to run down without restraint,as when the rod runs out or happens to break in the loop. The carriageis connected by a belt 0 with a pulley 13, mounted loosely on shaft 1)or any approved shaft at a suitable distance above the upper end of thecarriage-way and provided with a friction-clutch 0' to engage thefriction-driver with said pulley to set the pulley in motion at any timewhen the carriage is to be run up the railway for returning the movableguide to alignment with the stationary guides, as when a rod has run outand another is to enter the rolls. A friction device is preferred forthus connecting the pulley 19, because it allows the pulley to stopwithout much shock when the carriage comes to and is arrested in itsposition. Any approved form of friction device may be employed. \Vhenthe carriage is thus returned to the said position,the retainingcatch-hook If automatically engages the wrist-pin it in the forked headof the rod 1 projecting from the upper end of the carriage, and holds itin that position until the new rod enters, when the retaining-hook isautomatically detached and the loop-guide released to run with andcontrol the loop.

For automatically detaching the retaininghook a small disk or wheel to,mounted on the free end of an arm 00, pivoted to the carriage at Ij, isarranged to rest in the slot 2 in the side of the movable guide, so thatthe periphery of said wheel projects into the guideway for the rod farenough to be forced out, and thus raise the arm a little by the enteringend of the rod. A lever-latch, as 40, Fig. 7, may be substituted for theroller, if preferred, said lever being arranged to project into theguideway the same as the roller does to be raised by the entering rod.The arm a: carries the fork 1, Which engages the end of the short arm ofthe bell-crank 2, the long arm of which bears against the end of thepush-rod 3, which may be made to set in motion various arrangements ofdevices fortripping said retaining-hook.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I represent an electric device for the purpose,which consists of said hook arranged as the armature of theelectromagnet t, with a circuit-closing lever 5, having one of thecircuit-wires 6 connected to it and made to have contact with thebindingpost '7, having the other wire 8 of the circuit, by the thrust ofthe push-rod 3 against the end of another push-rod 9, coupled with saidlever and arranged in a slideway 10, so that IIS it bears against theend of push-rod 3 at 11 to receive the thrust of it, and thereby actuatethe circuit-closing lever. The magnet then attracts the armature andreleases the retaining-hook. The push-rod 9 is connected to the lever 5in the socket 12, that contains a coiled spring 13, through which thethrust is transmitted for the relief of the parts from the hard shocksthat would result if positively connected, and also from injury by toolong a throw should wheel in be raised too high. The rod is secured insaid socket by a pin 14, working in aslot of the socket to allow of theplay of the rod relatively to the socket. The coiled spring 15 separatesthe circuit-closing lever 5 from the binding-post 7 when the carriageshifts away after being released, and then the attraction of the magnetceases and the retaining-hook drops back to its position ready for againengaging the carriage on its return. The loop begins to form immediatelyon the end of the rod entering the rolls at the left hand, which makesit necessary that the carriage should be more quickly started on its waythan it would be by its gravitating action alone, for which I providethe starter, consisting of the plunger 16 and the spring 17, which onthe return of the carriage to the upper position are forced back and thespring is compressed ready for giving a starting thrust whenretaining-hook t is disengaged.

To provide for the escape of a rod issuing from one pair of rolls whenstalled in advance of the next pair and to avoid the jamming of a massof metal, which quickly accumulates in such case with very damagingresults, I provide an automatic relief device in the guide g to allowthe rod to escape through the side. This device consists of the saidguide provided with the lateral enlargement 18, containing a movableside 19, and having the escape-passage 20 at the outer edge of one ofthe permanent sides of said enlargement. The movable side 19 isconnected by the links 21 with the arms of a rock-shaft 21 pivoted insi'lpporting-standards 23, said shaft having a balanced arm 24:. In thenormal condition of the device the movable side 19 stands in theposition to limit the guideway to the dimensions of the rod, and it issecured in that position by'the latch-bolt 25 at the extremity of thearm 24, engaged with the weighted keeper 26,fitted to slide in thestationary guideways 27, the power of which is sufficient to hold thelever and retain the rod when running properly, but is suchthat whenevertherod happens to get stalled any where along the guide, and is therebyforced to crowd laterally, the keeper will rise and allow the movableside 19 to move outwardand open the passage 20, and thus permit the rodto escape that way until the mill can be stopped to remedy the matter.The stationary guideways 27, in which the latch-keeper moves, are soinclined that the keeper escapes from the latch-bolt when the movableside 19 has opened 'the escapepassage 20 to then relieve the escapingrod from all pressure, as it is desirable that after having entered theescape-passage the rod may run as free as possible. A buffer-spring 28and the yielding seat 28 are arranged under the keeper to break theshock of its fall when the latch escapes. The latch-bolt 25 has ashoulder 29, which locks it securely against escaping from the keeperwhile in the normal position, as it might by the jarring and shaking ofthe mill, and the slideway for the bolt is sufficiently larger than thebolt, as indicated by the dotted lines 30, to allow the bolt to risewhen striking the keeper, so as to release the shoulder 29 from the endof the slideway and allow the bolt to be forced back for engaging thekeeper.

Another means of detaching the retaininghook t automatically to permitthe loop-guide to act may consist, of the elbow-lever 31, mountedloosely on the stationary axis 32 of a continuously-rotatingratchet-disk 33, with one arm bearing against the tail-arm of the hook,and having the pawl 31 011 the other arm, against which the rod 9 actswhen receiving the thrust of rod 3, so as to engage the pawl with theratchet-disk and cause lever 31 to be turned so as to actuate the hook.A stationary cam 35 detaches the pawl 34: from the disk 33 immediatelyafter the hook is detached, and the pawl-lever 31 falls back to itsoriginal position, and a light spring 36 holds the pawl out of contactwith the ratchetdisk. The spring 15 shifts rod 9 so far away from pawl34 that it allows said pawl While held out of contact with theratchet-disk to return to the normal position without 11inderance bysaid rod. The movement of the pawl away from the ratchet by the spring36 is limited by the stops 38. The ratchet-disk 33 may have a pulley 37to be driven by a belt from any suitable driver to actuate it. Thishook-detaching apparatus is susceptible of various modifications, and I'do not limit myself to the particular arrangement of it above described.

YVhat I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is- 1. Thecombination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips, of aloop-guide reciprocating laterallyin the plane of the passgrooves fromwhich the rods or strips run and enter the guide, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips,of a laterally-reciprocating loop-guide, a carrier therefor, and waysfor the carrier located between two pairs of rolls, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips,of a laterally-gravitating reciprocating loop guide, a carrier therefor,and ways for the carrier located between two pairs of rolls,substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips,of a laterallygravitating reciprocating loop guide, a carrier therefor,and ways for the carrier located be- IIO tween two pairs of rolls, andalso a power device to raise the carriage and return the loopguide tothe direct line of feed, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips,of a laterally-reciprocating loop-guide, and a fixed guide between theloop-guide and the rolls to which the rod runs from the guide, locatedbetween two pairs of rolls, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips,of a laterally-reciprocating loop guide, a fixed guide between theloop-guide and the rolls to which the rod runs from the guide, and alsoa fixed guide between the loop-guide and the pairs of rolls from whichthe rod runs to the guide, all located between two pairs of rolls,substantially as described.

7. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods orstrips,of a loop-guide normally in the direct line of feed to receive theentering rod and automatically movable laterally thereto with andcontrolling the loop, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips,of a loop-guide normally in the direct line of feed to receive the rodand automatically movable laterally to control the loop, a hook toretain the guide in said line to receive the rod, and the roller in thecarrier subject to the entering rod for tripping the hook, substantiallyas described.

9. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods or strips,of a loop-guide normally in the direct line of feed to receive the rodand automatically movable laterally to control the loop, a hook toretain the guide in said line to receive the rod, the roller in thecarrier subject to the entering rod, and the elbow-lever and thrust-rodactuated by said roller for tripping the hook, substantially asdescribed.

10. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods orstrips, of aloop-guide normally within the direct line of feed toreceive the rod and automatically movable laterally to control the loop,a hook to retain the guide in said line to receive the rod and being anarmature-lever of an electro-magnet, the roller in the carrier subjectto the entering rod, the elbow-lever, thrust-rod, and the circuit-closerof the electro-magnet actuated by saidroller to detach theretaining'hook, substantially as described.

11. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods orstrips, of a rod-guide between two pairs of rolls having the movableside sliding between the two opposite sides and subject to the lateralthrust of a stalled rod, and an escape-passage which the said movableside opens, along the edge of one of said opposite sides for the escapeof the rod, substantially as described.

12. The combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods orstrips, of a rod-guide between two pairs of rolls and having the movableside subject to the lateral thrust of the stalled rod, and theescape-passage for the rod, subject to the control of said movable sideand the weighted retaining-lever to said movable side, substantially asdescribed.

13. lhe combination, in a train of rolls for rolling wire rods orstrips, of a rod-guide between two pairs of rolls, having the movableside subject to the lateral thrust of the stalled rod and theescape-passage subject to the control of said movable side, the weightedretaining-lever to said side, and the automatic weight releasing catch,substantially as described.

14. The combination of the rolls, the adjustable friction-cones andbelt-drivers, and the spurgears intermediate to said frictiondrivers andthe rolls, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed myname, in presence of two Witnesses, this 30th day of November, 1889.

THOMAS V. ALLIS. \Vitnesses:

W. J. MORGAN, A. P. THAYER.

